On the 200th anniversary of the great opera composer Giuseppe Verdi's birth the FOX THEATER in REDWOOD CITY will host the opera IL TROVATORE on April 28, 2013 at 2pm.One of the composer's greatest masterpieces, this is an event sung by a stellar cast who has sung on the stages of San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center, and in Europe.The opera will be produced with the collaboration of two regional opera companies:Bay Shore Lyric Opera and Verismo Opera with orchestra and English supertitles.

With ticket prices approaching $300 for a seat at the San Francisco Opera, it's no wonder opera is often perceived as an elite, acquired taste of the well to do. For a parody of the fanciness, think of the Marx Brothers' 1935 classic "A Night at the Opera."So what do you get for a mere $22-42? What you get is a labor of love provided by the excellent talent of Verismo Opera. Verismo Opera was founded by long-time San Francisco Opera chorister Fred Winthrop who has performed in over 5,0000 opera productions with: Opera Pacific, Long Beach Opera, Los Angeles Opera, San Diego Opera, Honolulu Opera and San Francisco Opera and has sung on stage alongside international vocal celebrities such as Pavarotti, Carreras and Domingo and even sang in one of their famous Three Tenor Concerts. Fred developed an ambition to bring opera to the community at affordable prices. Marsha Sims, the Associate Director of Verismo Opera is a resident and music teacher, right here in Redwood Shores.

Big companies like SF Opera or the New York Met spend millions on elaborate sets and large orchestras. Verismo Opera necessarily follows a chamber music tradition of a small orchestra and modest sets.But the most important aspect of an opera production is the quality of the singers, and Verismo Opera boasts a first rate level of talent:Jennifer der Torossian, Frederick Winthrop, Liliane Cromer, Christopher Wells, Eric Coyne and Marsha Sims. Few places in the world are blessed with the number of gifted singers found in the Bay Area.

Hear some of Verdi's most melodious music including his exciting Anvil Chorus sung by Spanish gypsies. Set in Spain in the early 15th century, the opera is full of dramatically powerful scenes: tales of flames at the stake, kidnapping and revenge master-minded by Azucena, the conniving gypsy woman; a mysterious troubadour and Leonora who loses her heart to him; the drama of war waged on a castle fortress; and two brothers separated at birth who unknowingly become mortal enemies

The FOX THEATER was built in 1929 and was used as a movie house and later a live performing arts center where stars from BB King to Vanessa Williams have performed.The 1400 seat theater now owned by Lori and Eric Lochtefeld has gone through a renaissance with new lights, carpeting, and remodels that have made this theater the next big entertainment hub on the Peninsula. Now the peninsula cities can enjoy all the great shows, operas and bands right in their own backyard, at great prices and no traffic and parking nightmares that come with traveling to San Francisco.Check out their website to find Broadway Shows, Symphony, Big Band Swing, and now Opera.

Hear some of Verdi's most melodious music including his exciting Anvil Chorus sung by Spanish gypsies. It is full of dramatically powerful scenes: tales of flames at the stake, kidnapping and revenge master-minded by Azucena, the conniving gypsy woman; a mysterious troubadour and Leonora who loses her heart to him; the drama of war waged on a castle fortress; and two brothers separated at birth who unknowingly become mortal enemies. Set in Spain in the early 15th century, the story is told by three separate, intertwining sub-plots, rich with colorful history